Effects of Genetics and Environment on Substance Abuse

Effects of Genetics and Environment on Substance Abuse Human Growth and Development 11/30/11
Abstract

Previous research has shown direct links between environmental factors and substance use in adolescents, while the link between genetic factors and substance abuse may only be inferred. The current research further investigates the correlation between genetic and environmental factors and substance abuse in adolescents. The results showed overwhelming evidence that genetics can predispose adolescents to substance abuse and illustrated the environmental factors that lead to substance abuse. Further research should be conducted in both areas of investigation.
Genetic and Environmental Factors Influence Substance Abuse in AdolescenceAs defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition (DSM-IV 2000), substance abuse is a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. This paper will examine the effects of genetic and environmental factors on substance abuse in adolescents. It will investigate whether an addiction problem can be passed on to a child through genetics. The paper will also examine role of environmental factors such as familial and friend relationships to see what role, if any, they may play in substance abuse. Previous research was conducted on parent drug use, parent personality, and the effect they have on parenting. The participants were involved in a longitudinal study that began in 1975 and at it's beginning the participants ranged in age from one to ten years of age. The study is focusing on seventy-one, (fifty-one women and twenty-men) of these original participants all of whom now have children. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which focused on personality, family, peer, demographic, and drug use in depth. They also completed child-rearing questions in regard to their eldest child....